Method of making cop skewers



y 9, 1929. F. E. DOUGLAS 1.720.412

ETHOD OF MAKING COP SKEWERS Filed May 18, 1928 132.5 Y jkyfilNl/f/VTOR."

ATTORNEY Patented July 9, 1929 unrrsn STATES L72tt4l2 PATENT OFFICE.

IEREDRIC E. DOUGLAS, OF HOPEDALE, MASEaAGll-"L'USETTS, ASSIGLNOR TODRA'PER COB PORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION DIEMAINE.

METHOD OF MAKING C01 SKEWERS.

Application filed May 18, 1923. Serial No. 278,724.

This invention relates to the method of making cop skewers, whereby thedefects and objections heretofore existing in the fini shed product maybe eliminated and a cop skewer be provided of such character andstrength to effectively withstand the rough treatment to which it issubjected in use.

Cop skewers, as now ordinarily made, consist of a head portion, a barrelfor the support of the cop tube and cop, and a tapering tip portion; andwhen such skewers are em ploycd in filling replenishing looms of thebobbin changing type, such skewers with wound filling thereon areusually held in the hopper by head and tip engaging means. Duringweaving the shuttle is subjected to sudden endwiseshocks due to thepicking operation and the arrest of. the shuttle in the shuttle-boxwhich are calculated to displace the cop tube and cop longitudinally ofthe skewer, and it has heretofore been customary to provide the barrelportion of the cop skewer with resilient members formed by alongitudinal slot in theskewer barrel.

In the manufacture of such cop skewers of the resilient side membertype, however, it is now the ordinary practice tomake theskewer of twopieces welded together at the butt end and brazed together at thepointed or tip end, but since the skewer is made of high carbon steel,this method has been costly, difficulty has been encountered inproducing a satisfactory skewer, and. the finishing operation has beenfound frequently to present air holes which have rendered the skewerunfit for use. The brazed pointed end rendered it practically impossibleto temper and harden the skewer at this portion which is the weakestpart of the shower, because the brazing material. would fuse or meltduring the hardening operation and result either in theseparation of theparts entirely or in leaving a crack at the end of the skewer to causetrouble in use by catching the yarn or filling and wearing the tipholding means in the hopper.

An object of thepresent invention consists in so making the cop skewerthat the defects hereinbefore noted maybe avoided and other advantagesbe secured incident to the con struction of the cop skewer itself andits method of manufacture The invention and new features thereof willbest be made clear from the following de scription and the accompanyindrawings which disclose a: new method of manufacture and the cop skewerresulting therefrom possessing advantages not heretofore prcsonh In thedrawings:

Fig. 1 represents in elevation. a metal rod or cop skewer blank fromwhich the cop skewer is made;

Fig. 2 represents the metal rod or cop skewer blank as provided with alongitudi nally extending opening; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing thetip portion of the rod or skewer having; been compressed at the tipterminal portion of the longitudinal opening;

Fig. lis a side elevation, with the head of the skewer in section,showing the completed skewer Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion ofthe barrel of the cop skewer for supporting the paper cop tubethroughout its length; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

In carrying out the method of the present invention, a metal rod ofsuitable dimensions is formed: with a taper towards the tip end thereof,and, as illustrated by Fi 1, the nontapered portion of the rod at 1 isforn'ied cylindrical, for the purpose of properly supporting the papercop tube in cylindrical form when the connaleted cop tube is employed inthe shuttle. From the tip terminal. portion of the cylindrical part 1,as at 2, the rod. is tapered, at 3. The formation of the cylindricalportion and the tapering portion 3 of the rod may be variouslycontrived, but, 1ne1lierably, this is done by turning the rod into thedesired shape.

The rod having been tapered, as explained, and as illustrated by Fig. 1,it is provided with a rectangular opening 4- which extendslongitudinally of the tip portion of the rod from a point tipward of thecylindrical portion 1. Since the opening 4 is rectangular. it followsthat each end. of the rectangular opening l will form the shmilders 5and G. The rectangular opening 1- cxtcndinn' longitud inally of theskewer may be made in various ways but preferably it is prod need by asaw-cut or milled.

As hereinbefore stated, one of the weak points of a slotted cop skeweris at the tip end portion of the longitiulimilly extending opening. inthe skewer barrel, which becomes nirticularly observable subsequent tothe shapegrinding o ieration, and one of the important features of theprescmt invention con sists in overcoming this objectionable defect. Inaccordance with the present invention, the slotted cop skewer, Fig. 2,is sub ected to compr-ession at the tip end portion adjacent the tipterminal of the longitudinal opening l, with the result, as indicated inFig. 3, that the end of the slot 4 is closed, as shown at 7, Fig.3, andthe diameter of the skewer at this portion is decreased, thus preservingmore metal and consequent strength at this point after the shapegrinding operation than would be the case if the shape grinding tookplace without such compression. The shape grinding operation, whichimparts the surface finish to the skewer, is performed subsequent to thecompression operation above described, and consequently more metal isretained at the terminal end of the closed-in slot 4, than wouldotherwise exist.

The side members 8 and 9 of the opening 4 are then separated or sprungapart, as indicated in Fig. 4, thereby forming the two resilient members8 and 9 which by their expansive action serve to hold the wound copproperly on the skewer when in use.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the head 10 ot' the skewer is secured to the endportion 11, as indicated, and such head portion, where the skewer is tobe used in filling replenishing l'ooms,'is provided with rings 12.

In filling replenishing looms of the feeler type, economy of waste offilling depends upon the sensitive action of the feeler in determiningwhen'a substantial exhaustion of filling occurs, and in order that thecop skewer may afford a proper support for the paper tube for sensitiveaction of .the feeler, the paper tube supporting portion of the skewer,as indicated at 18, Fig. 4:, is formed cylindrical, and of a lengthlongitudinally of the skewer to support the paper tube throughout,without the latter overlapping the resilient side members 8 and 9 of theskewer. In other words, the cylindrical portion 13 affords a support forthe paper tube to maintain it in cylindrical form during the use of thecop, to thereby afford proper contacting surface for the feeler.

In some cases it may be desirable to form the cylindrical portion 13with a spiral rib, and in such case the cylindrical portion may beprovided with the spiral rib 14 which extends from the head portion ofthe skewer towards, but does not reach, the terminal end portion 5 ofthe longitudinal opening 4 which separates the resilient members 8 and9.

Then the cop skewer is used in a filling re plenishing loom, it is usualto support the cop skewer with its load of yarn, in a hopper, havingmeans for engaging the head oi? the skewer, and other means for engagingthe tip end portion of the skewer, and during the transfer of the loadedcop skewer from the hopper to the shuttle it is subjected to a suddenimpulse which is liable to bend or permanent-ly deflect the tapered tipportion of the skewer and cause the formation ol burrs or roughness atthe end portion ol the tip where it is engaged with the tip holdingmeans in the hopper. A tnrther important feature of the invention,therefore, consisls in providing the skewer with a hardened lip portionto withstand the stress ol lransl'er without bending and at the sametime avoid the l'ormation o'l burrs or roughness at the end of the tip.

In accordance with this feature ol the invention, the tip end portionol? the skewer is subjected to a heat treatment and then hardened,either by immersion in water or oil or by other cooling agent, and suchtreatment may be extended from the extreme end 16 ol the tip to a pointincluding the thin sides oil the terminal end of the longitlulinal slot,as at 17, the eiicct being that the skewer may withstand the strains olitransfer without bending or the formation of burrs or roughness at theterminal portion of the ii p.

What is claimed is 1. A method of making cop skewers l'or shuttles,which consists in :lforming a skewer blank from a solid cylindrical redby tapering the rod towards one end, then slotting the blanklongitmlinally from a point adjacent the tapered end of the blank,subjecting the tapered end of the blank at the terminal portion of thelongitudinal slot to compression, widening the longitudiiml openingbetween its ends, and then heat treating the tapered end oi the skewerand hardening it.

2. The method of making cop skewers for shuttles, which consists informing a skewer blank from a cylindrical rod having the same diameteras the paper tube receiving portion of the finished skewer by taperingthe rod towards one end, forming a. rectangular slot between the endsoi? the tapered blank, compressing the tapered end. of the blank at theterminal portion. of the longitudinal slot, and thereafter shapegrinding the blank.

3. The method of making cop skewers for shuttles, which consists intapering a, solid, cylindrical rod toward one end to term a skewerblank, then l'orming a longitudinally extending rectangular slot betweenthe ends of the tapered blank, compressing the tapered end of the blankat the terminal portion of: the longitudinal slot, and heat treating thetapered end oi the blank and hardening it.

4. The method olf making cop skewers lor shuttles, which consists informing a skewer blank of a solid cylindrical rod by tapering the rodtowards one end, forming a rec/tan gular slot between the ends ol thetapered blank, compressing the tapered end of the blank at the terminalportion of the longilm dinal slot, and thereafter shape grimling (beblank and heattreating the tapered end of the blank and hardening it.

5. The method of forming cop skewers for llO shuttles, which consists informing a metal skewer blank of a cylindrical rod having the salinediameter as the tube supporting portion oil the finished skewer andtapering the rod from an intermediate portion thereof to one end of theblank, forming a longitudinal open .ing in the blank from thecylindrical portion to a point adjacent the tapered end of the blank,compressing the tapered end of the blank at the terminal portion of theopening to reduce the diameter of the blank and. partially close the endot the opening, and heat treating and hardening the tapered end of theblank.

6. The method of making copskewers for shuttles, which consists informing a metal skewer blank from a cylindrical rod having a taperedportion extending from an intermediate portion of the rod to an end.thereof, forming a longitudinal opening in the blank from thecylindrical portion to a point adjacent the tapered end oil. the blank,con'lpressing the tapered end of the blank at the terminal portion ofthe opening to reduce the diameter of the blank and partially close theend of the opening, then shape grinding the blank, and heat treating andhardening the tapered end of the blank.

In testimony whereof, I have signed. my name to this specification.

FREDRIG E. DOUGLAS.

